Any recommendations for Galapagos?

This is a non-Seabourn question for Seabourn cruisers. A trip to the Galapagos islands has been high on our to-do list for a long time, and I think we'd like to pull the trigger for a trip next year. Since I think Seabourn cruisers are likely to have tastes similar to ours, I wanted to put the question to those of you who have visited the Galapagos what company you used for your trip. I know there's nothing on the smaller ships in the area that will compare with the full Seabourn experience, but I'd welcome any thoughts from those who have travelled there. National Geographic/Linblad? Is a two-week trip, to cover both eastern and western islands, worth it, or is the more-typical one week trip to one side or the other sufficient? Thanks in advance for any input.

Eric

We did a 7 day Galapagos cruise with Celebrity Xpedition earlier this year, after our Amazon cruise on the Quest, and the shock wasn't too great. The cruise was part of an 11 day package, with 2 nights in Quito before and after the cruise. Accommodation was at the J W Marriott, and meals, tours & return flights to Baltra were included (Celebrity Xpedition charter their own planes). I have to say everything ran very smoothly from being greeted at Quito airport until our departure 11 days later.

I hope you have a great time whoever you choose.

We are a couple in our 60's and we found the heat/humidity and lack of shade very challenging (we were there in March). There were 2 excursions every day and towards the end of the week I was choosing to stay aboard in air-conditioned comfort over some of the excursions. For us 1 week was long enough.

Lindlad -- we use them for many of our expedition style trip. They are a true class act with extraordinary naturalists. The only caveat is their ships are a bit old and cabins are very basic. And the food is nothing special. But then I have a different set of criteria for an adventure trip than a luxury pampering one. And we added the extra week to go to Peru -- Machu Pichu was a very spiritual place.

This is a non-Seabourn question for Seabourn cruisers. A trip to the Galapagos islands has been high on our to-do list for a long time, and I think we'd like to pull the trigger for a trip next year. There's nothing on the smaller ships in the area that will compare with the full Seabourn experience, Eric

O yes there is; The Silver Galapagos by Silversea will be very similar in the all inclusive experience. They have two itineraries to choose from. One north and south routes. You will have a butler to take care of your room and will also provide room service for you also. All ship employees will be from the Galapagos national park, also all food will be from the local area. We loved the whole program and added the a couple land excursions in Peru. Silversea uses A&K travel in the South American area and they did a first class job on land excursions.

A second vote for Celebrity Xpedition. Just 70 guests, excellent service, amazing naturalists for the on board lectures & 2 to 3 landings each day, and just like Seabourn, all inclusive. Celebrity Xpedition is so different from the main Celebrity brand/product that if Seabourn were to take over, all they needed to do was change the name and it would be a perfect fit instantly.

PS. As to the previous poster's comment that Silversea uses employees from the Galapagos National Park and local products - Celebrity and other lines do the same as that's the law; there is no other option if you want a permit to sail the area.

I absolutely agree. You do not go to the Galapagos for the food or the ship or the cabin. You go for the **place** and how it is explained to you by your guides. Lindblad has the very best guides. They have the professors and the other lines their students.

Lindblad, Lindblad and Lindblad for the Artic, the Antarctic and the Galapagos (I have been to all 3 with Lindblad)!

Lindlad -- we use them for many of our expedition style trip. They are a true class act with extraordinary naturalists. The only caveat is their ships are a bit old and cabins are very basic. And the food is nothing special. But then I have a different set of criteria for an adventure trip than a luxury pampering one. And we added the extra week to go to Peru -- Machu Pichu was a very spiritual place.

We have gone on Celebrity Xpedition and concur with the previous comments. It is all inclusive.

A note on the naturalists. The niece of a dear friend from Ecuador lives in the Galapagos and has been a naturalist there for many years. All of the first class cruise boats - Celebrity, Linblad, Silverseas, and some smaller ones - use the same Class I certified naturalists. They all have at least one specialized university degree and must speak at least two other languages. As a rule, they take a few months contract and switch from ship to ship. A few decide to accept longer contracts with a given company. But you will find there is no difference in the quality of the naturalists from one cruise line to the next. They are all the same people.

BTW - our friend also told us not to pay the extra $ for Linblad, the cabins are smaller than X and everything else is the same. (The week we were there she was actually working on Linblad.) Silverseas entered the game after we were there and they are likely to provide a more upmarket experience, but the same naturalists!

As for the itineraries, it used to be that all the boats did the same islands. About five years ago, the government decided that there was too much wear and tear on those islands so the decided to split them into two groups and add a few more islands to each group. Hence the two one-week itineraries. If you want to see "everything", you should do both. Google the official Galapagos park website and look for a description of what can be found on each island and then decide. Each line has to do the groups of islands in different orders to avoid overcrowding. Once on the island, they might follow slightly different paths to minimize damage, but you will still see the same animals, features, etc.

Can I ask how much a one week itinerary on the celebrity expedition is please?

Can I ask how much a one week itinerary on the celebrity expedition is please?

http://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-search/search-results#&dest=GALAP&isWidget=false&sortBy=7&selectedInput=dest&cruiseType=&cruisesOnly=&accessCabin=&includeAdjascentPorts=Y&state=&captain_id=&couponCodes=&isSenior=&isMilitary=&isFireandPolice=&sailStartDate=ANY&sailEndDate=ANY&port=ANY&duration=ANY&port=ANY&ship=ANY

The 10- or 11-day packages are the best deal because they include Quito.

The Peru (Machu Picchu) extensions or packages are way overpriced. You can make your own arrangements for a lot less. There are several direct flights from Quito to Lima. LAN is an excellent airline and they used to have (I hope they still do) a South American pass that offered great savings if you take three or more flights. In DIY, you fly Quito-Lima, Lima-Cusco and Cusco-Lima. We spent 10 days in Peru (Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca) in 5* hotels and private guides for half of what the cruise extension would have cost us.

And with all these viewpoints you can see you have multiple options -- each with their own advantages. Let me just add this about Lindblad as the OP asked about the Seabourn equivalent. You have to discern your primary reason for going to the Galapagos. Is it to have a once special encounter with this unique natural environment ? What you get with Lindblad is not only their long history and experience in providing trips here but their association with National Geographic. Sometimes such advantages may be hard to quantify unless you have taken trips with such an organization. Their expedition teams ( not just their naturalists) are a big part of what you are paying for. And then you add in tangible extras such as NG photographers, the undersea submersible and the extraordinary film they shoot as well as their glass bottom boats for live sea life viewing. And yes, they do cost more just as a Seabourn Med cruise costs more than a Celebrity Med cruise. You just need to figure out what matters most to you. Either way you will have a wonderful trip.

As to the extension be wary of those that offer a quick trip from Cuzco to Machu Pichu. One of the major advantages of Lindblad's week in the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu is to give your body time to adjust to the altitude. And yes it is costly but we stayed at first class hotels -- the Orient a Express Monasterio in Cuzco and the Orient Express Santuary Hotel right at the entrance to Machu Pichu (all of the other hotels are a 30 minute bus ride down in the valley below). In Lima we were at the

Miraflores Hotel. I am no stranger to independent travel but in this case I felt it was important to be with guides who could help us make the most of our time without having to stress with travel logistics.

As to the extension be wary of those that offer a quick trip from Cuzco to Machu Pichu. One of the major advantages of Lindblad's week in the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu is to give your body time to adjust to the altitude. And yes it is costly but we stayed at first class hotels -- the Orient a Express Monasterio in Cuzco and the Orient Express Santuary Hotel right at the entrance to Machu Pichu (all of the other hotels are a 30 minute bus ride down in the valley below). In Lima we were at the

Miraflores Hotel. I am no stranger to independent travel but in this case I felt it was important to be with guides who could help us make the most of our time without having to stress with travel logistics.

Celebrity offers a 3 day extension to Machu Picchu. As you say, that is a killer due to the altitude. Lindblad's one week extension is more reasonable.

As for our own experience, we did not take a "quick trip," or used an agency, but planned it all independently. We booked all flights and hotels ourselves. We flew on the same airline Lindblad and others use, but chose the flights that were convenient to us. We also stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge, and took the Orient Express train from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, stayed at all 5* luxury hotels and spent 10 days with excellent local guides. All I am saying is that a little research will let you accomplish a lot more on a more relaxed and safe schedule and at a much lower price. I understand many others prefer to pay extra for the "logistics," but that is all you are getting for the large mark up, not any additional quality or time. But that is why we all have options.

For the cruise itself we relied on a local expert who guides regularly for all cruise lines. Having said that, this was our one and only Celebrity cruise. We'll stick to SB for all others.

Thanks for the advice!

The travel agent we have used for our Seabourn and Regent cruises specializes in a few luxury cruise lines, but I don't think does Celebrity or Lindblad. For those that traveled on one of those lines to the Galapagos, did you book directly with the cruise line, or find a different travel agent who specializes in these lines, or ...??

Eric

Eric I booked my Lindblad trips ( we have done three with them) with a travel agent. But I am sure you can book directly with them.

I booked directly with X, through their website.

I did a cruise with Celebrity November 2013

Here is my review: http://www.traveltogalapagos.info/

I'll recommend the 10-day tour including Quito - reduce the stress of flying into Galapagos and possible delays of flights.

Thanks for the advice!

 

The travel agent we have used for our Seabourn and Regent cruises specializes in a few luxury cruise lines, but I don't think does Celebrity or Lindblad. For those that traveled on one of those lines to the Galapagos, did you book directly with the cruise line, or find a different travel agent who specializes in these lines, or ...??

 

Eric

We booked the Celebrity 10-day cruise through our TA. Although she specializes on luxury cruises, she will book others on request. Ask your TA. A friend who joined us on the cruise booked it directly with Celebrity. All other arrangements to Peru we did on the internet - LAN airlines, Orient Express and Casa Andina hotels - because we did not want to use any packaged arrangements with Celebrity or a tour company.

I did a cruise with Celebrity November 2013

Here is my review: http://www.traveltogalapagos.info/

I'll recommend the 10-day tour including Quito - reduce the stress of flying into Galapagos and possible delays of flights.

hallasm, a long overdue THANK YOU for your http://www.traveltogalapagos.info site. I did ALL my research there prior to our trip.

hallasm, a long overdue THANK YOU for your www.traveltogalapagos.info site. I did ALL my research there prior to our trip.

Thank you - I am happy to help

Lindblad/ National Geo. Their naturalists are simply amazing & mostly Ecuadorian...(at least they were on our adventure.) Their respect for the surroundings is awe inspiring. We were so fortunate on our trip several years ago to have a small alumni group from a major university on board who opened their lectures by environmental professors to all passengers.... it was incredible.

One of the things I've read while looking into a Galapagos cruise is that regardless of line all the food stocks must be locally sourced. This has lead to some passengers having issues with the land based protein not living up to expectations.

Lindblad/ National Geo. Their naturalists are simply amazing & mostly Ecuadorian...(at least they were on our adventure.) Their respect for the surroundings is awe inspiring. We were so fortunate on our trip several years ago to have a small alumni group from a major university on board who opened their lectures by environmental professors to all passengers.... it was incredible.

Are you by chance referring to the MIT alum?

I did Galapagos with Lindblad/National Geographic last year, and while it was a wonderful trip and I'd definitely visit again, I won't do it with Lindblad.

First of all, the scenery and wild life was gorgeous, and Lindblad's excursions were good and ran efficiently, like clockwork. The local expedition team leaders were good but not spectacular. SB's Antarctica team leaders were better in every aspects: knowledge, information dissemination, social bantering, personality, enthusiasm, sense of wonder, etc. (Part of this was due to language skills, so this is not a fair comparison.)

The ship itself was old, the cabins tiny and old, the service adequate but paled in comparison to SB's level of service, in terms of work ethics, friendliness, eagerness to help, even though they were working for tips, at all levels from cruise director to room attendants. (Gratuities not included.)

The food was basic (and especially limited and uninteresting to vegetarians). They charge a hefty premium for their brand, and I did not feel I got value for money. However, they have a loyal clientele, so many of their repeat customers must value the excursions and activities over the bells and whistles.

I don't know if Silversea's excursions and team leaders are any good for Galapagos, but perhaps they merit consideration. Also, it's possible to fly to the islands and join local excursions (most of which will be basic but may present better value for money), if you just want to see great wildlife and scenery and do not care so much about luxury and comfort.

Just realized that I have just responded to a post that's 2 years old! So perhaps not so helpful to the OP...

Are you by chance referring to the MIT alum?

No, the profs were part of a Washington University ( St. Louis???) alum group - this was 7-8 years ago. I would most definitely go with Lindblad/National Geo again even though the Silversea looks pretty tempting & there is the whole "free laundry" thing. Amazing how some of us can be bought !

As I understand it, all the shore excursions have to have a local guide along. When I went there with Road Scholars the guide was the high point of the trip -- extremely knowledgeable and very kind.

I assume that if you go in a group and take your own naturalist, that the local guide will be along, just talk less?

Galapagos is a magical place. I would give up significant "luxury" just to see and visit the place.